1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a process for the isolation and characterization of a gene enzyme system for the inactivation of the herbicide phenmedipham and transfer of the gene into plants to produce herbicide-tolerant plants. The enzyme is a carbamate hydrolase of Arthrobacter oxidans, which is responsible for the cleavage of the carbamate bond between the benzene rings of phenmedipham which is the common name for the herbicide methyl 3-m-tolylcarbamoyloxyphenylcarbamate.
2. Description of the Related Art
In practice it is often necessary to use several herbicides or herbicide mixtures to combat various weeds. These problems can be avoided by a biotechnical change to the plant in which resistance to a non-selective herbicide is introduced.
The production of herbicide-tolerant plants is now coming more to the foreground in the plant protection area.
In order to produce herbicide-tolerant plants, it is necessary first to have a process for the isolation and subsequent purification of an enzyme which is able to inactivate a herbicide, e.g., by metabolism, and then to have a process for characterizing the gene enzyme system containing the DNA sequence that codes for the active enzyme. After these steps the DNA sequence of the gene can be transferred into plants.
Such a process for the isolation and subsequent characterization of a gene enzyme system which can inactivate phenmedipham and the transfer of this gene enzyme system into plants was not previously known.